Storage media library systems (jukeboxes) are devices which contain multiple storage media drives and many pieces of storage media to accommodate installations requiring access to large numbers of storage media, such as optical discs, compact discs and tape cartridges. The storage media may be housed in magazines which contain a fixed number of storage media. Existing storage media library systems are configured to contain a fixed number of magazines and a fixed number of drives.
Typically, a customer will make a purchase decision based on drive or media capacity. If a jukebox will only handle a maximum number of drives or media, and still not meet the customer requirements, then a larger jukebox is required. Some customers will require a larger ratio of drives to media and some will require the opposite. This may demand the selection of a jukebox which is much larger than needed in order to fulfill the specific needs of the customer.
There is a need for a data media storage library with a fixed number of homogeneous xe2x80x98slotsxe2x80x99 which can be populated with either drives or storage media. This allows for customization of a library system which meets the specific requirements of the end user. The customer can opt to swap drives for media to tailor the jukebox to their needs, and minimize the necessity to purchase a larger system with capabilities they may not fully realize. This allows for easy future expansion if needed.
A data media storage library for storing and accessing storage media such as optical discs, CDs, tape cartridges, and PCMCIA cards, consisting of a housing containing a storage array with a number of storage locations therein; a number of media storage elements for holding the storage media; a number of data transfer elements for reading and writing information on the storage media; and a media transport element for moving the storage media between the media storage elements and the data transfer elements. Each storage location may engage one of the media storage elements and data transfer elements, thereby allowing the interchangeability of media storage elements with data transfer elements within the storage array.
A principal object and advantage of the present invention is that it provides a data media storage library with a fixed number of homogeneous xe2x80x98slotsxe2x80x99 which can be populated with either drives or storage media. This allows for customization of a library system which meets the specific requirements of the end user. The customer can opt to swap drives for media to tailor the jukebox to their needs, and minimize the necessity to purchase a larger system with capabilities they may not fully realize. This allows for easy future expansion if needed.
A second principal object and advantage of the present invention is that it allows for a drive to be removed from the data storage library while power is on, that is, it allows the drive to be xe2x80x9chot swappedxe2x80x9d. which is now a serviceability requirement in the industry.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drive assembly which contains a quick release fastening mechanism to simplify the installation and removal of drives. Installation of drives is achieved by simply pushing the assembly into a slot until the spring-loaded latch engages. Actuation of the latch mechanism is all that is required to disengage a drive from the jukebox.
A feature of the invention is that the media storage element and the data transfer element both have the same width and height, so that a given slot can hold either one.